Separate cases result in demand letters and embezzlement, forgery charges

JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Polly Tutor of Nettleton and LaTana Williams of Calhoun City. The arrests come from separate investigations. Tutor, a former clerk for the Itawamba County Soil and Water Conservation District, was indicted for embezzlement and forgery. Williams is the current police chief in Calhoun City and has been indicted for embezzlement. Each woman was presented a demand letter upon arrest.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Henry Gruno after he was indicted for embezzlement. Gruno is a former director of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs (MSVA) cemetery in Newton County. Gruno was also presented a $29,818.76 demand letter upon arrest. This amount includes interest and investigative expenses.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White made the following statement after former Bay Springs City Clerk Randy James was sentenced in federal court:
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Kathy Smith after she was indicted for embezzlement. Smith is a former municipal court clerk for the City of Houston in Chickasaw County. A demand letter showing she owes $131,697.00 was presented to her upon arrest. The demand amount includes interest and investigative expenses.
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Mardis Jones arrested, must repay over $1 million

JACKSON, Miss. – Today in a press conference State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Mardis Jones after he was indicted for fraud and embezzling public money in Tunica County. A $1,081,143.07 demand letter was issued to Jones upon his arrest. This amount represents the second-largest demand in a criminal case in the history of the Auditor’s office and includes both interest and investigative expenses.
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JACKSON, Miss. – State Auditor Shad White will hold a press conference to discuss the second-largest criminal demand letter ever issued by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. The event will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, February 25.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White made the following statement after Mario King entered a guilty plea in federal court today:
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Rawle must also continue repaying the City

JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced former City of Columbus Chief Financial Officer Milton Rawle, Jr. has been convicted of embezzlement in Lowndes County Circuit Court. The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Scott Colom in Judge Lee Coleman’s court chambers. The guilty plea and sentencing were recorded yesterday.
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JACKSON, Miss. – The Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) operates well in some areas when compared to pensions in other states but could be improved in other areas according to a report released today by State Auditor Shad White. The study was conducted for the Office of the State Auditor for no charge by the Pew Charitable Trusts, an internationally-respected non-partisan public policy research organization.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced his office collected $66,574.44 for taxpayers across Mississippi last month after previous investigations showed public funds were stolen or misused. Significant amounts were returned from cases involving the former Chancery Clerk of Lincoln County and former executive staff at the Department of Marine Resources.
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